Malice (2004 video game)

Last updated
Malice
Malice Coverart.png
Cover art of Malice
Developer(s) Argonaut Games
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Andy Pana
Writer(s) Mark Oswin
Composer(s) Nick Arondel
Karin Griffin
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Xbox
Release
  • PAL: April 30, 2004 (PS2) [1]
  • NA: June 2, 2004
  • PAL: August 6, 2004 (Xbox)
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Malice is a platform game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Mud Duck Productions in North America and Evolved Games in Europe, and was released in 2004 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2.

Contents

The game's development cycle proved to be quite troublesome, with a change in publishers, cancellation and an eventual revival, the game's planned 2002 release would eventually be delayed to a Summer 2004 release.

Malice was met with mixed reviews.

Plot

The game is about the return of a goddess named Malice, who attempts to defeat the evil Dog God with the help of the Metal Guardian; the Keeper of Universe, who needs to find eight Logic Keys to locate the Dog God.

Characters

Development

The game was originally intended to be a title for the PlayStation with Fox Interactive appointed to publish the game, and would run on Croc 2's game engine. [2] [3]

After Fox backed out of publishing the game, Argonaut moved development of the title to the Xbox, where it was announced as an exclusive on July 14, 2000, with no date or publisher announced. [4] In August 2001, Argonaut announced that Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing would publish the game through their subsidiary Sierra On-Line, and that a PlayStation 2 version would also be released. [5] [6]

In May 2002, it was announced that band members from No Doubt would be doing various voice-overs for the game, with singer Gwen Stefani doing the voice for Malice. [7] The game was later shown off at Vivendi Universal's booth at E3 2002. [8] By June, the game was announced to be released in November. [9]

In October 2002, Sierra and Argonaut agreed to delay the game to the Summer of 2003. [10] However, Argonaut's financial issues proved to be troublesome, and in May 2003, it was announced that Vivendi Universal had cancelled their developer contract with Argonaut for the title and they would look into another publisher to publish the title, but in the end, gave back all rights to Argonaut, leaving them to have no choice but to cancel the game. [11]

In January 2004, it was announced that the game was revived after ZeniMax Media subsidiary Mud Duck Productions purchased the publishing rights for the game in North America., [12] with Evolved Games acquiring the European publishing rights a few weeks later. [13] The game was silently released in June 2004 in the United States., [14] and would eventually be Argonaut's final title released, as the company went out of business two months after the Xbox version came out in Europe.

Reception

The PlayStation 2 version of Malice received "mixed" reviews, while the Xbox version received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [15] [16] Henry Ernst of GamePro Germany compated the finished game to Angela Merkel in a Bikini. [27]

Related Research Articles

<i>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas</i> 2004 video game

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fifth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and the seventh entry overall. Set within the fictional U.S. state of San Andreas, the game follows Carl "CJ" Johnson, who returns home after his mother's murder and finds his old street gang has lost much of their territory. Over the course of the game, he attempts to rebuild the gang, clashes with corrupt authorities and powerful criminals, and gradually unravels the truth behind his mother's murder.

<i>BloodRayne 2</i> 2004 action game

BloodRayne 2 is an action hack and slash video game developed by Terminal Reality for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. It does not follow on directly from where BloodRayne finished; instead, it takes place 60 and 70 years later in a contemporary 2000s setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argonaut Games</span> British video game developer

Argonaut Games is a British video game developer founded in 1982. It was known for the Super NES video game Star Fox and its supporting Super FX chip, and for Croc: Legend of the Gobbos and the Starglider series. The company was liquidated in late 2004, and ceased to exist in early 2007. It was relaunched in 2024.

<i>Men of Valor</i> 2004 video game

Men of Valor is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2015, Inc. and published by Vivendi Universal Games for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox platforms. Men of Valor is based on the Unreal Engine 2 and simulates infantry combat during the Vietnam War, more specifically, the Tet Offensive in 1968. The game was released in 2004 to mostly positive reviews.

<i>The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay</i> 2004 video game

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a first-person action and stealth video game developed by Starbreeze Studios and Tigon Studios and published by Vivendi Universal Games. Released for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows in 2004, the game's story is a prequel to the futuristic science fiction film Pitch Black. Actor Vin Diesel—who was involved in the game's development—reprises his role as that film's protagonist, Richard B. Riddick.

<i>I-Ninja</i> 2003 video game

I-Ninja is an action video game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Namco Hometek for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. A Game Boy Advance version of the game was announced, then later cancelled.

<i>God of War</i> (2005 video game) Action-adventure game

God of War is a 2005 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It is the first installment in the God of War series and the third chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, a Spartan warrior who serves the Olympian gods. The goddess Athena tasks Kratos with killing Ares, the God of War and Kratos' former mentor who tricked him into killing his wife and daughter. As Ares besieges Athens out of hatred for Athena, Kratos embarks on a quest to find the one object capable of stopping the god once and for all: Pandora's Box.

<i>NASCAR Thunder 2003</i> 2003 Racing simulator video game developed by EA Sports and Budcat Creations

NASCAR Thunder 2003 is the sixth edition of the EA Sports' NASCAR racing simulator series. Developed by EA Tiburon and Budcat Creations and published by EA Sports. It was released for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox on September 18, 2002, and for Microsoft Windows on October 21. The product features Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the cover. It was the first time the NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award recipient was featured on the cover, although he did not win the award for the first time until the following year. Dale Earnhardt appeared in the game as a driver as a result of entering his name as a Create-A-Car driver's name; he did not appear in the previous game due to his death. He appeared as a legend in subsequent games.

<i>The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction</i> 2005 video game

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is a 2005 action-adventure video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game is based on the Marvel Comics superhero the Hulk and showcases an open world with destructible environments. The narrative follows the Hulk as he is subconsciously influenced by his human alter-ego Bruce Banner and his psychotherapist Leonard Samson into assembling a device that will mend Banner's psyche and prevent the emergence of a darker personality. Aside from advancing the game's story, the player can engage in side missions and purchase new abilities for the Hulk to use.

<i>Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter</i> 2003 video game

Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter is a first-person shooter video game developed by Warthog Games, published by Black Label Games and released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. A GameCube version was in development, but was cancelled.

<i>The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning</i> 2006 video game

The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning is a 2006 action-adventure video game in the Spyro series. It is the first installment in The Legend of Spyro trilogy. The game was released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and mobile.

<i>Wrath Unleashed</i> 2004 video game

Wrath Unleashed is a strategy game for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox created by The Collective and published by LucasArts in 2004.

<i>Urban Chaos: Riot Response</i> 2006 video game

Urban Chaos: Riot Response is a first-person shooter video game developed by British games developer Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game was released in May 2006 in Europe and June 2006 in North America. It is Rocksteady Studios' debut game and, as of 2024, the only game by the developer to not be based on a DC Comics property as well as their only title to not receive a PC release.

<i>Catwoman</i> (video game) 2004 video game

Catwoman is an action-adventure video game based on the 2004 film of the same name based on the fictional character. It features the likeness of the film's lead actress Halle Berry, while the character's voice is provided by actress Jennifer Hale. This would end up being developer Argonaut Software's final game in 19 years until the company's relaunch in 2024.

<i>Hunter: The Reckoning – Wayward</i> 2003 hack-and-slash video game

Hunter: The Reckoning – Wayward is a 2003 hack-and-slash shooter video game developed by High Voltage Software and published by Vivendi Universal Games for the PlayStation 2. It is based on the tabletop role-playing game Hunter: The Reckoning, and is part of the larger World of Darkness series. It is a sequel to the 2002 video game Hunter: The Reckoning, and was followed by Redeemer in 2003.

<i>NHL 2002</i> 2001 video game

NHL 2002 is a video game released by EA Sports in 2001. It is the predecessor to NHL 2003. The game's cover man is Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and owner Mario Lemieux, who had just made a comeback after being retired for three and a half years. It was the first installment of the NHL series to be released on Xbox.

<i>Lotus Challenge</i> 2001 video game

Lotus Challenge is a racing game developed by Kuju Entertainment and published in 2001 for PlayStation 2 by Virgin Interactive. Versions followed for Windows, GameCube, Xbox, and mobile phones from different publishers.

<i>SWAT: Global Strike Team</i> 2003 video game

SWAT: Global Strike Team is a 2003 tactical shooter video game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Vivendi Universal Games for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It featured a new game engine developed by Argonaut developed to push the lighting capabilities of the Xbox and was the first SWAT game to ship on console systems. The game was inspired by the strategic elements of SWAT 3 with the instantly accessible arcade action of the Virtua Cop series.

<i>Capcom Fighting Evolution</i> 2004 video game

Capcom Fighting Jam, released in the US as Capcom Fighting Evolution, is a 2004 head-to-head fighting game from Capcom. It was originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Namco System 246 hardware and ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game features characters from three different incarnations of the Street Fighter series, as well as characters from the Darkstalkers series and the CPS III arcade game Red Earth, with each character employing the fighting system from the game which they represent.

References

  1. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (April 30, 2004). "What's New?". Eurogamer . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Malice (PSX)". 26 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Caoili, Eric (March 5, 2010). "Curioser And Curioser: Malice's Unreleased PS1 Edition". GameSetWatch . UBM plc. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  4. ↑ IGN staff (June 13, 2000). "Malice in Wonderland". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Malice to be Published by Vivendi". 7 August 2001. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "Malice Coming to PlayStation 2". 7 August 2001. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  7. ↑ IGN staff (May 17, 2002). "No Doubt to Appear in Malice". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Vivendi: E3 Booth Report". 24 May 2002. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Malice E3 Impressions". 7 June 2002. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  10. ↑ IGN staff (October 11, 2002). "Malice Delayed". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  11. ↑ IGN staff (May 30, 2003). "Argonaut Officially Cans Malice". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Remember Malice?". 23 January 2004. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "New Malice Screens". 3 February 2004. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Malice Slips to Retail". 2 June 2004. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Malice for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  16. 1 2 "Malice for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  17. 1 2 EGM staff (September 2004). "Malice". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 182. Ziff Davis. p. 99.
  18. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (August 2004). "Malice (Xbox)". Game Informer . No. 136. GameStop. p. 102. Archived from the original on November 18, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  19. ↑ Dan Elektro (June 30, 2004). "Malice: Kat's Tale [sic] Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro . IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  20. 1 2 Navarro, Alex (June 14, 2004). "Malice Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  21. 1 2 Goldstein, Hilary (June 8, 2004). "Malice". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Malice". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . Ziff Davis. September 2004. p. 97.
  23. ↑ "Malice". Official Xbox Magazine . Future US. August 2004. p. 80.
  24. ↑ "Review: Malice". PlayStation: The Official Magazine . Future US. September 2004. p. 26.
  25. ↑ Semsey, Rob (June 9, 2004). "Malice Review (Xbox)". TeamXbox . IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  26. ↑ Miller, Skyler (September 6, 2004). "Malice Review (Xbox; incomplete)". X-Play . G4techTV. Archived from the original on September 7, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  27. ↑ PastGaming - Archiv (2015-04-11). Gamepro 07/2004 - Testcheck . Retrieved 2024-11-04– via YouTube.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.